Fin-tube panel bending apparatus



July 2, 1968 E. CONKLIN 3,390,566

FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1965' 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 W! "H M 'll EM 'm/49 H .ZI-VVE'NT'UI? L,. 52 GUN/(L. IN

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JT'T'PRNE'H FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 2, 1968 E. CONKLIN 3,390,566

FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 m. "1"" W W MN MW" "1" MIM July 2, 1968 L. E. CONKLIN FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 10, 1965 IHI'IH m'iiimm A July 2, 1968 E. CONKLIN 3,390,566

FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1965 6 Shets-Sheet 5 l Iran July 2, 1968 E. CONKL|N 3,390,566

FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1965 6 SheetsSheet 6 United States Patent 3,390,566 FIN-TUBE PANEL BENDING APPARATUS Lawrence E. Conklin, Dansville, N.Y., assignor to Foster Wheeler Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 513,010 7 Claims. (Cl. 72-389) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fin-tube panel bending apparatus including vertically mounted male die segments and female die segments both vertically adjustable.

In modern steam generators, it is a common practice to form the walls of the generator into tube panels. Such tube panels can be fabricated in any number of ways. A common technique is to weld a fin between two adjoining tubes. The fin is placed between the tubes, either by seam welding a strip of metal to both tubes or by casting a fin which is totally integrated with both tubes. Of course, it is also possible to weld the two adjoining tubes together without the addition of a fin.

Prior to the use of tin-tube panels, each tube in a vapor generator was individually bent and subsequently assembled into a panel in the shop or placed in its proper location within the vapor generator at the erection site. Assembly of a panel after bending incurs a large amount of erection expense due to the configurations that must be welded by hand rather than utilizing automatic equipment. Since it is essential that such panels have a wide variety of configurations, it is most important that the panel be fabricated with the tubes flat and then the entire panel be bent in accordance with the particular design of the vapor generator.

In the past, presses were designed to bend such fin-tube panels. The original presses were constructed so that the panel was inserted in a horizontal plane. One difiiculty which resulted with such an apparatus was the requirement of holding the moving ends of the panel as it is bent in overhead cranes. Also due to limitations on overhead space, the panel size which could be bent was limited. Subsequently, the idea was conceived of a bending apparatus in which the panels were inserted in a vertical plane within the fin-tube panel bender. The uses of cranes was minimized by placing the ends of the panel upon dollies which moved about the floor around the panel bender as the panel was bent into position. The panel bending apparatus previously utilized has provided only columns for pressing against the panel. In general, a single male column moved in relationship to a pair of female columns, forcing the desired bend in the tube panel. Although the desired bends can be achieved by this type of equipment, deformation of the fin-walled tubes within the fin-tube panel has remained as a problem.

Therefore, it is an object of this device to provide a panel-bending apparatus with die assemblies which eliminate tube deformation during the bending operation.

Another object is to provide a panel bending apparatus with die assemblies which allow for irregularities in spacing of the tubes in a tube panel.

Another object is to provide a panel bending apparatus with assemblies which can be readily converted depending upon the tube diameter.

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In accordance with this invention, a vertical hydraulic press is utilized with a top latch to permit vertical insertion of the tube panel or movement of the crane through the press. A male die assembly is attached to a bulldozer in the form of individual segments of flat semicircular blocks having a rounded groove about the semicircular edge to engage the outside surface of a tube in a tube panel. Each segment is individually mounted in a vertically movable position with relationship to the other male die segments so as to automatically move in either direction vertically in accordance with the construction of the tube panel being bent. A female die assembly is similarly situated in spaced relationship to the male segments and although fixedly mounted with regard to the movement of the ram are pivotally mounted to rotate as the panel bends. The female die assemblies are also attached to move in at least one direction vertically to compensate for irregularities in the tube panel and like the male die segments have a horizontal rounded groove to engage the section of the surface of the tubes opposite to the section engaged by the male segments.

These and other objects and advantages which will be more apparent when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a panel bending apparatus partially broken away and incorporating the die assemblies in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the die assemblies with only a small portion of the adjacent press shown and with the male die segments withdrawn from the tube panel to be bent.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view similar to FIGURE 2 with the tube panel partially bent.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the die assemblies shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a male die segment with a portion of the bent tube panel in place.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG- URE 4 of a U-shaped washer and a male die support shaft with the other components removed.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 77 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of the male die support shaft with a U-shaped washer.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the female die assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, a panel bending apparatus 11 is shown which utilizes the die assemblies 12 in accordance with this invention. A frame 13 of the hydraulic bender 11 includes a base portion 15 with a track 17 on it and two fixed end portions, namely, a ram end 19 and a stop end 21. Within the ram end 19 is a plurality of hydraulic rams 23. The frame 13 also includes a top portion 25 which is rigidly connected to the ram end 19. A pivotable latch 29 extends over from the top portion 25 to the stop end 21. A hydraulic cylinder 31 is utilized to pivot the latch 29 to a vertical position to permit insertion of a tube panel 33 or to pass a crane through the panel bending apparatus. A smaller hydraulic cylinder 35 is used to pull the latch 29 tight against the stop end 21 in order to provide end restraint. As is necessary with such hydraulic equipment, an oil reservoir 37 is provided which is connected by tubes 39 to the individual cylinders 41 in which the rams or pistons 23 are slideably fitted. The pressure in the hydraulic reservoir is obtained by a motor and pump assembly 45.

Attached to the rams 23 are platens 47 to which is secured a cross-head 49. An extension block 51, which may be in the form shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, is bolted by means of bolts 53 to the outside face 55 of the cross-head 49. Dowels 57 are inserted through the back surface of the extension block 51 into the cross-head 49 to assure proper alignment. A male die assembly 59 is mounted on the extension block 51. A V-block 61 in the form of a metal bar with a -degree groove in its outer surface is bolted vertically by bolts 62 along the vertical center line of the extension block 51. A male bottom shaft support plate 63 as shown in FIGURES l and 4 is bolted to the lower end of the extension block 51. An opening 65 in the male bottom shaft support plate 63 receives the lower end of a male die support shaft 67 which is vertically oriented and in contact with the groove in the V-block 61. The male die support shaft 67 is a long circular steel bar having grooves 69 about its periphery into which are inserted U-shaped washers 70.

In forming the male die assembly, a support washer 70 is placed in the bottom groove of the male die support shaft 67. A male die segment is then placed over the top end of the male die support shaft and V-block 61 and slid vertically downward until it rests upon the lowest washer 70. As best seen in FIGURES 5 and 7, three openings 81 are located in each male die segment 80 about the periphery of the male die support shaft 67. The upper ends 83 of the openings 81 are threaded to hold a plug 85. The lower ends of the openings 81 have a reduced diameter to form a ridge S9 for a plunger 93. The lower ends of the openings 81 are small enough for lower ends 87 of the plungers 93 to extend outward but not sufficiently large to permit passage of the larger upper ends 95 of the plungers 93 which are stopped by the ridges 89. Between the plug 85 and the plunger 93 a coil spring 96 is located which is under compression and forces the head of the plunger against the ridge 89. When one of the segments 80 rests upon one of the U-shaped washers 70 it contacts it only at the bottom end of the plunger and therefore floats upon the springs. Another washer 70 i then placed in the next groove 69 and another male die segment 80 is similarly slid down in contact with that support washer 81. Each segment 80 is located on the male die support shaft 67 one above the other with a washer 70 beneath it. A top shaft support 97 is then bolted to the extension block 51 and holds the upper end of the male die support shaft 67 in the same manner as the lower shaft support 63 holds the lower end. As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 7, each individual segment 80 is free to move up and down on the plungers 93 in accordance with the unavoidable minor irregularities in the panel 33. In addition, each male die segment 80 engages a major portion of the partial surface of the tube but has clearance between the edges of the segments 80 and the fins adjacent such edges thereby distributing the bending pressure across the face of the tubes in the panel and avoiding deformation of the individual tubes. Since tube sizes vary in fin-tube panels the individual segments are made in varying sizes to accommodate the tube size used in any particular panel and can be readily installed as needed. For this reason the grooves 69 in the male die support shaft 67 are not evenly spaced so as to permit equally spacing segments 80 of varying sizes by utilizing selected grooves 69 for each size of segment 80. Also to assist in spacing male die segments 80 of varying sizes, specific U-shaped washers 70 can have a raised section attached to their face.

Referring now to the female die assembly 97 as best seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 9, only one side of the pair of members will be described as they are mirror images of one another although left 99 and right 101 in operation. Bolted to the face of the stop end 21 by bolts 103 are two adaptor blocks 105 which are symmetically located on both side of the male die assembly 59. Secured to the adaptor blocks 105 are back-up blocks 107 which have a cylindrical concave groove 109 vertically located therein. The back-up blocks 107 are secured by means of bolts 106 whose heads are fitted into a slide channel 108. Fitted within the cylindrical concave groove 109 are female pivot shafts 111 which are held in place by means of a bottom bearing block 113 and a top bearing block 115 each of which has an opening 117 therein for mounting of the ends of the female pivot shafts 111. Both bottom and top bearing blocks 113, 115 are fastened by means of bolts 119 to the adaptor blocks 105. Female die support bars 121 are bolted preferably by a series of 'bolts 123 to the female pivot shafts 111. The female die support bars 121 are in the form of fiat vertically-oriented plates with a longitudinal raised portion 122. A pair of female die clamps 125 are bolted to both vertical edges of each female die support bar 121 to form a groove at both edges of the female die support bars 121. Dowel holes 127 are spaced at various locations along the female die support bar 121 into which metal dowels 129 are slip fitted. At the bottom end of the female die support bars 121 a pair of dowels 129 are located in a common horizontal plane. A female die segment 131 is slipped down with end notches 133 to fit the female die clamps 125 until dowel grooves 135 located in the lower edge of the female die segments 121 rest upon a pair of dowels 129. Another pair of dowels 129 are then placed in the openings provided directly above the already inserted female die segment 131 and another female die segment 131 is slipped down in contact with those dowels 129. When all the segments 131 have been placed in position, the top bearing block 115 is bolted down as previously discussed. In this way, although the female segments cannot move downward beyond their respective supporting dowels, they can move vertically upward to the pair of vertically supporting dowels above them permitting movement to compensate for irregularities. In addition, as best seen in FIGURE 3, as the male segment moves inward between the female die assembly, the female die assembly 97 pivots to compensate for the angular bend of the panel 33 thereby constantly remaining in contact with the surface of the panel 33.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus comprising:

a male die assembly including male die segments mounted one above the other, said male die assembly including means to adjust the vertical position of each male die segment in relation to the male die segment beneath it and to the male die segment above it;

a pair of female die assemblies mounted symmetrically in a spaced relationship to said male die assembly, said pair of femle die assemblies each including female die segments one above the other, said female die assemblies including means to adjust the vertical position of each female die segment and further including means to rotate the female die segments about a vertical axis; and

means for causing relative horizontal movement between said male die assembly and said pair of female die assemblies.

2. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus comprising:

male die segments including flat semicircularly-shaped blocks having a rounded groove about the semicircular edge;

means for mounting said male die segments one vertically above the other with each male die segment free to move vertically in relation to the male die segment below it and the male die segment above it, said rounded groove about the semicircular edge lying in a horizontal plane;

female die segments including rectangular blocks having a rounded groove along the length of one surface;

means for mounting said female die segments in two symmetrical locations in spaced relationship to said male die segments, said female die segments in each location being positioned one vertically above the other and with each female die segment free to move vertically, said means for mounting including means for pivoting the female die segments about a vertical axis at each of the two symmetrical locations, said rounded groove along the length of one surface of the female die segments lying in a horizontal plane and generally directed toward said male die segments; and

means for causing relative horizontal movement between said male die segments and said female die segments.

3. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for mounting said male die segments includes a male die support shaft in the form of a long round bar having a multiplicity of grooves about its periphery spaced along its length and male support washers having a U-shape fitted into one of said grooves along said male die support shaft, said male die segments including spring-loaded plungers extending from the lower surfaces of said male die segments and resting against said male support washers.

4. A fin tube panel bending apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for mounting said female die segments includes a pair of pivotably mounted female die support bars, said pivotably mounted female die support bars including vertical members with holes located along their length and a series of dowels fitted into said series of holes in horizontal pairs spaced along the length of each of said pair of female die support bars.

5. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus comprising:

a male die support shaft including a vertically mounted long round bar with a multiplicity of grooves about its periphery and spaced along its length;

male support washers having a U-shape fitted into at least a portion of said grooves along said male die support shaft;

male die segments including flat semicircular blocks with an opening therein adapted to fit about said male die support shaft and having a rounded groove about the semicircular edge, said male die segments each having spring-loaded plungers extending from its lower surface, each male die segment being mounted over one of said male support washers with the spring-loaded plungers resting on the male support washer directly beneath it, said rounded groove about the semicircular edge lying in a horizontal plane;

a pair of female die assemblies mounted symmetrically in spaced relationship to said male die segments, said female die assemblies each including female die segments one above the other, said female die assemblies including means to adjust the vertical position of each female die segment and to rotate the female die segments about a vertical axis; and

means for causing relative horizontal movement between said male die segments and said female die segments.

6. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus comprising:

a male die assembly including male die segments mounted one above the other, said male die assembly including means to adjust the vertical position of each male die segment in relation to the male die segment beneath it and to the male die segment above it;

a female support means rigidly mounted in spaced relationship with the male die assembly;

a pair of female pivot shafts each including a long round bar flattened on one side along its length pivotably mounted in a vertical position on said female support means;

a pair of female die support bars including long fiat plates secured to said pair of female pivot shafts, said pair of female die support bars each having a series of holes located along its length;

a series of dowels mounted in said series of holes in horizontal pairs spaced along the length of said pair of female die support bars;

female die segments including rectangular blocks each having a rounded groove along the length of one surface and each being mounted on one of said horizontal pairs of dowels, said dowels being spaced vertically apart at a slightly larger distance than the vertical dimension of said female die segments;

clip means for retaining said female die segments against said female die support bars, said clip means being adapted to permit vertical movement of each female die segment; and

means for causing relative horizontal movement between said male die segments and said female die segments.

7. A fin-tube panel bending apparatus comprising:

a horizontally movable ram;

a ram extension assembly means secured to said horizontally movable ram, said ram extension assembly means having an inner surface connected to said ram and an outer surface opposite from said inner surface;

a male die support shaft in the form of a long round bar having a multiplicity of grooves about its periphery spaced along its length;

means for vertically mounting said male die support shaft on said outer surface of said ram extension assembly means;

male support washers having a U-shape fitted into at least a portion of said grooves along said male die support shaft;

male die segments in the form of flat semicircular blocks with an opening therein adapted to fit about said male die support shaft and having a rounded groove about the semicircular edge, said male die segments having spring-loaded plungers extending from its lower flat surface, each male die segment being mounted over one of said male support washers with the spring-loaded plungers resting on the male support washer directly beneath it whereby each male die segment can be moved up and down on the spring-loaded plunger;

a pair of female support means rigidly mounted symmetrically in a horizontal plane opposite said outer surface of said ram extension assembly means;

a pair of female pivot shafts in the form of a long round bar flattened on one side along its length pivotably mounted along a vertical axis on said pair of female support means;

a pair of female die support bars in the form of long members bolted along said pair of female pivot shafts, said pair of female die support bars each having a series of horizontal pairs of holes located along its length;

a series of dowels fitted into said series of horizontal pairs of holes located along the length of said pair of female die support bars;

female die segments including rectangular blocks having a rounded groove along the length of one surface, each of said female die segments being mounted on one of said horizontal pairs of said dowels, said dowels being spaced vertically apart a slightly larger distance than the vertical dimension of said female die segments whereby said female die segments can 7 lift up to the next higher pair of dowels from the pair of dowels directly beneath it; and clip means attached to the side edges of said female die support bars for retaining said female die segments against said female die support bars. 5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,762 9/1930 Harvey 72369 2,451,302 10/1948 Peters 72389 10 Bowman 7215O Ferris 72389 Sheehan 72217 Lance 72-389 Sassak 72-389 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

E. M. COMES, Assistant Examiner. 

